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Uggah Directs MPOB To Reduce Red Tape
Uggah Directs MPOB To Reduce Red Tape
26/08/2014 (Bernama)- Plantation Industries and Commodities Minister Datuk Seri Douglas Uggah Embas wants the Malaysian Palm Oil Board (MPOB) to reduce red tape and go to the ground to meet the oil palm planters and mill operators.
"Go down to the ground to identify those planters and smallholders and issue them the licence to collect and sell fresh fruit bunches (FFB)," he told a press conference after chairing a special meeting on theft of FFB here today.
He said the meeting discussed ways and means to reduce thefts of FFB, which was rampant, especially in the northern and southern parts of the state.
Saying that FFB thefts was a nation-wide problem, he said in Sarawak alone 304 police reports had been received while MPOB had issued show cause letters to one mill and 11 FBB dealers for buying FFB from unlicenced sources.
"They have been given two weeks to answer the show cause letter, failing which MPOB will take the next cause of action against them, including revoking their licence," he said.
Uggah, who also refuted allegations that MPOB victimised smallholders, said the government was spending RM50 million in form of subsidies to smallholders, which showed its seriousness in helping them.
Hence he advised smallholders to get their licence to collect and sell FFB.
On another issue, he said MPOB had never given any directive for mills to buy FFB from selective planters or village.
Recently land rights activist Nicholas Mujah had claimed MPOB was siding the "big companies" and discriminates the smallholders, who complained of being hit by a MPOB's directive mills against accepting FFB from estates in dispute.
Nicholas had said he would continue to bring the issue up to international attention, including to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.
"Go down to the ground to identify those planters and smallholders and issue them the licence to collect and sell fresh fruit bunches (FFB)," he told a press conference after chairing a special meeting on theft of FFB here today.
He said the meeting discussed ways and means to reduce thefts of FFB, which was rampant, especially in the northern and southern parts of the state.
Saying that FFB thefts was a nation-wide problem, he said in Sarawak alone 304 police reports had been received while MPOB had issued show cause letters to one mill and 11 FBB dealers for buying FFB from unlicenced sources.
"They have been given two weeks to answer the show cause letter, failing which MPOB will take the next cause of action against them, including revoking their licence," he said.
Uggah, who also refuted allegations that MPOB victimised smallholders, said the government was spending RM50 million in form of subsidies to smallholders, which showed its seriousness in helping them.
Hence he advised smallholders to get their licence to collect and sell FFB.
On another issue, he said MPOB had never given any directive for mills to buy FFB from selective planters or village.
Recently land rights activist Nicholas Mujah had claimed MPOB was siding the "big companies" and discriminates the smallholders, who complained of being hit by a MPOB's directive mills against accepting FFB from estates in dispute.
Nicholas had said he would continue to bring the issue up to international attention, including to the Roundtable on Sustainable Palm Oil.